Three routines to establish before adding more teaching tools

Three small routines make a connected workspace useful: prepare one outcome, capture one observation and leave one next step.

Before: decide what to listen for

“Work on the piece” is too broad. Choose “listen for a steady pulse across the bar line” or “hear whether the phrase ending is lighter”. Open only the material needed for that question.

During: capture evidence

Write what happened, not a label about the learner. “The first attempt stopped before bar 3; the second continued after counting aloud” gives you something to revisit. “Poor rhythm” does not.

After: make the starting point obvious

Set a manageable task with a place, action and check: “Bars 2–3: tap and count once, then play twice. Listen for the same pulse through the join.”

Ask the student to describe the task back to you. If they cannot, simplify it before adding another activity.

Once these routines feel natural, add the tool that removes a real obstacle. A recording may help recall a demonstration; a theory exercise may check a concept. Neither replaces a clear musical purpose.

See worked feedback examples.